Check out the latest article from President of the Mississippi Bail Agents Association, Michael Morrison, criticizing the Vera Institute and the anti-surety movement for promoting a narrative that every bail decision in California amounts to “wealth-based detention.” Morrison argues that this framing deliberately overlooks the critical factors judges are required to evaluate, including defendants’ criminal history, repeat offenses, prior failures to appear, new crimes while on release, drug abuse, behavioral instability, victim impact, and risks to public safety and the community. Bail is not assigned randomly but is based on the offense, surrounding circumstances, flight risk, community ties, prior compliance, and public safety needs, with higher bonds often set for out-of-state defendants or repeat offenders.

The piece contends, accountability is essential amid California’s severe public disorder challenges, such as exploding homelessness, normalized open drug use, filth on sidewalks, businesses fleeing, and residents leaving by the thousands—issues the author links to failed policies championed by the same activist groups. It defends elected judges as community members who witness this disorder firsthand and reject simplistic ideological frameworks, stressing that true order, stability, investment, and safe neighborhoods come from prioritizing victims, court appearances, behavior, and public safety rather than removing accountability. An excerpt from Morrison's article is below as well as a link to the full article.

Vera.org Spins California Bail Ruling — Ignoring Behavior, Victims, and Reality

By Michael Morrison

Once again, the Vera Institute and the anti-surety movement are in full spin mode, trying to convince America that accountability itself is the problem. Their latest California narrative frames every bail decision as “wealth-based detention,” while deliberately ignoring the very factors judges are legally and ethically required to consider every single day.

Check out the full article here>>>